Forum questions awarding of security tender contract

The Radical Economic Transformation Forum’s chairperson Victor Makhura says they need answers from the Limpopo Department of Sport Arts and Culture that gave out a tender to a Gauteng-based company to provide security services in Limpopo.

The Forum made headlines in 2018 when some of its members held a number of pickets in Polokwane, calling for an investigation into the awarding of various government tenders.

Their grievance at the time related to the education department’s feeding scheme tenders and the human settlements department’s RDP house tender contracts.

Makhura says in their latest grievance, they are unhappy that the Sport, Arts and Culture department has allocated a tender to one company whose owner is allegedly dating one of the department’s officials.

Makhura says this tender was awarded without the department giving service providers in Limpopo a briefing or an alert.

He says the company has been allocated to secure 38 government sites whereas the department could have easily awarded individual tenders to 38 very capable Limpopo-based companies.

The Acting Head of Department Motlhanke Daddy Phukuntsi says he and Treasury officials will meet with members of the Forum on Wednesday and will comment at a later stage.